Mistrial in Utah Case of Girl Raped While Mom Smoked Meth Nearby

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A mistrial has been declared in the case of three men accused of sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl at a Utah home while her mother was in the garage smoking methamphetamine. Court officials said Thursday that only about one-third of potential jurors showed up, making the pool of jurors too small. The trial was expected to start this week for Larson RonDeau, Jerry Flatlip and Randall Flatlip. They have all pleaded not guilty to child rape and sodomy charges. Prosecutors say the men took the girl to a back room in March while she was sleeping on a couch in rural Uintah County, which borders Colorado. The men had been staying in the house. Lawyers for the men have questioned the account and whether the mother influenced the girl's testimony.